In a submission to a Victorian Parliamentary inquiry the Human Rights Law Centre said the Victorian Government must address the underlying causes of damaging incidents in youth justice centres including staffing and lockdowns.

“Locking children down in isolation, staff shortages and failing infrastructure have all contributed to problems which have plagued youth justice centres,” said Hugh de Kretser, Executive Director of the Human Rights Law Centre. “Successive governments have been on notice about the problems but have failed to properly address them.”